To Long for the Darkness
by Umigatari
Summary: Ayato stumbles upon a place that he would like to call his own, but a certain someone who runs into him stalls his intent. A small scuffle brings out remorse and confusion on both sides. Their humdrum routines suddenly become shaken. Be it for the better or worst, it's inevitable. M-rating for language.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi! Welcome to my first story, well maybe not my first ever, but certainly my first of Tokyo Ghoul! I hope you like it and and I accept any kind of reviews, compliments and criticism alike. _

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Kirishima Ayato walked through the empty alleyway in the middle of the night. It was his day off from his duties and he was craving some human flesh. What better way to catch a human off guard than in a dark alleyway? The wind blew gently, making the nearby discarded pieces of paper ruffle in the night. For some reason, the area was exempt of any people today. Ayato though it strange for there to be not a single soul tonight. Shrugging off any suspicion, he made his way deeper into the alley which would soon lead him to a larger area. Walking through the narrow space, the indigo haired boy found himself at the foot of a large parking lot. He had never made it this far into the ally to see what lied beyond it. With his curiosity piqued, Ayato decided to explore it. Taking his time to walk up the many levels of the parking lot, he realized that it was mostly abandoned. There was not one car parked in the area and the paint on the concrete columns have been chipping away.

All around him, there was silence paired with darkness. The brilliant light of the moon could not reach him and so he was virtually staring into what would appear to be an infinite space of black. If it were not for his ghoul eyes, Ayato surely would not have been able to see a thing. But since he had them, he made use of those orbs and scoured the space. Because it was abandoned, there was no hope in finding any humans here; but the area being deserted was also a good thing. Perhaps he could make this place his own. A place to get away from the hectic life that was his life and forget about Ghouls and humans alike. If only for a while . . .

Suddenly, Ayato sensed the presence of another ghoul in the area. He looked around tensely and decided to hide in the shadows. Whoever it was, he'd attack without a shred of hesitance. The sound of faint footsteps could be heard remotely east of him. The teen took in a sharp breath and braced himself to jump at the poor bastard that had unfortunately crossed his path. The second the person took a step at his level, Ayato jumped out of his hiding spot. Just before he landed a swift kick upon the unknown individual, his eyes caught a quick glance of snow white hair.

Ayato's foot did not actually make it to Kaneki's face since the other had blocked it with his arms. The blue haired boy jumped back and regained his balance. He was now looking straight into the single eye of the Eyepatch's.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ken Kaneki began.

"None of your damn business." Ayato retorted, running to the other with another blow prepared.

Again, the white haired male was able to block it and attempted to return a punch of his own. Ayato skillfully dodged it and came closer to the one eyed Ghoul. After all, close combat was his specialty. After multiple tries, he finally landed a hit on Kaneki, sending the boy to the other side of the parking lot. He wasn't content by the slightest, knowing that his punch would not have done too much. Kaneki was after all, known for being highly regenerative after taking any damage. As Ayato had expected, the other got up with ease, paying no heed to the small trickle of blood running down his temple.

The glare that the other gave him sent a shiver down his spine, but he quickly shook the feeling away. He had a Ghoul to kill, and nothing was going to stop him from doing so, not even himself. Ayato made no move as of yet, analyzing Kaneki's condition. There was pause between the two, with only the sound of fallen wall pieces in the background. Once the dust cleared slightly, the snowy haired boy rushed at Ayato. Only a bit caught off guard, Ayato was able to evade the Rinkaku Kagune. Out of that moment, he got away with only a shallow slash to the cheek. There was blood escaping his wound, but the teen could not care less at the moment.

Getting serious, Ayato brought out his Ukaku Kagune. Shooting bullets out of his wings, he gritted his teeth at the fact that none of them were landing on Kaneki. It was getting irritating. Time and time again, the two boys would get extremely close to one another with the great opportunity to place damaging blows upon one another, but it never happened. The only feeling that kept repeating itself was the feeling of frustration and regret that the past close encounters had been just that, close encounters. It was a wonder that no one had noticed or heard of their battle. Perhaps the area was just too remote for anyone to be aware of.

Growing tired, Ayato's reflexes dropped greatly. Kaneki took this chance to jump the boy and pin him to the ground.

"What are you up to?" He questioned.

Kaneki became confused at the Black Rabbit's affronted expression. "Just because I'm out here in the middle of the night doesn't mean I'm up to anything. I could ask you the very same question."

The white haired male raised an eyebrow. "You're a part of an ill-intentioned organization. I used to work in a café. Out of the two of us, I daresay you would seem more suspicious."

"Fine, let's say I'm out to do something bad. Something that you wouldn't approve of. What the hell are you going to do about it? Break another 103 of my bones again?" Ayato seethed.

At this, Kaneki had visibly winced. He didn't want to be reminded of that time. "No."

"Not in the mood to half ass it again?" The teen continued to taunt. "It's not like you could've lost your taste for bloodshed or anything."

Barely loosening his grip, Kaneki noticed that there was the smallest tremor from Touka's younger brother. This made his grip become completely slack. "About that time . . . I'm sorry."

"What-" Ayato narrowed his eyes, but Kaneki had moved far to quickly. By the time he brought himself up, the masked Ghoul was gone. In a rise of anger, he brought his fist against a nearby pillar, causing it to crack a bit. "What the fuck was that?"

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_You can check out my profile for additional comments I have on this story!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, here you go guys. The second chapter; I hope you enjoy~_

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The silence of the night enveloped him and Ayato found himself calmed by it. It was strange that the events of the last week had stuck with him for so long. Albeit, it had only been seven days since the encounter, but it was six more days than the norm in which the memory had clung to him. He had preferred not to let things get to him or hold any unnecessary grudges unless he really cared about it. Though the Ghoul had never voiced it, there had always been a part of him uncomfortable with leaving his sister in the way he did at the Anteiku Café. They had grown up together and were inseparable when things got tough. But then he remembered exactly why he had left Touka and that tiny shred of guilt would disappear.

That day, almost exactly seven days ago though, had been plaguing his thoughts constantly and would not leave him alone. Initially, Ayato scoffed at the idea of the one eyed Ghoul feeling any kind of remorse for what he had done. It made no sense. As time swam by slowly, he reconsidered it. What if the other really did mean it? If Kaneki Ken had been affiliated with the café, it was not that far fetched that he may possibly feel guilty. God knows how many of those fools still believe that maintaining peace between Humans and Ghouls was probable. Then, a rather obvious thought came to mind, what the hell did it matter if the other felt remorse? It wouldn't change anything. They've been strangers and enemies when they first met. They're still the exact same thing now. It was irrelevant, what they thought of each other when the deciding factor was who the victor of the scuffle had been.

Having only calmed down for five minutes, Ayato's anger flared up again. That bastard wasn't sorry; he just wanted to mess with him! The half Ghoul probably figured that expressing his regret – if there even was any – would bemuse and distract him. How foolish he felt at the moment, knowing that he'd played right into the adversary's hands. It was aggravating. In the middle of his seething, the noise of light footprints rang throughout the deserted parking lot. Ayato turned around with a small gut feeling that it may have been the infuriating Ghoul he was thinking about. To his displeasure and half hearted surprise, he was right! The other was standing a short distance away from him, wearing an unfazed expression.

"Why the hell are you here again?" Ayato growled, barely able to keep his rage under wraps. This was _his_ place and he thought that was made clear last time they met but apparently not.

The white haired boy shrugged. This gesture miffed him. It was almost as though he wasn't even seen as a threat anymore and the thought of that was quite irksome. "I don't know. Wanted to get away for a while I guess."

_Che, and of all the goddamn places in Tokyo . . . you come here._ The younger Ghoul thought in annoyance.

"Anyways, what brings you here?"

The question came too suddenly for him and Ayato was caught off guard by the civil tone Kaneki used. "I don't believe it's any business of yours why I'm here."

"Yeah, you said that last time as well." Kaneki chuckled weakly.

Ayato felt as though he was a heartbeat away from attacking the One Eyed Ghoul when a flash of white filled his vision. Before he could comprehend what had happened, the blue haired boy found both of his hands bound by the grip of the Half Ghoul. The first emotion that emerged was utter surprise. He knew that Kaneki was fast, but when had he become _this_ fast?

"What the fuck are you doing?" He demanded with a dark glare.

"You were going to attack me." Kaneki stated with a great amount of conviction in his voice that almost left no room for argument. Ayato's eyes, now ebony at the sclera and scarlet in the pupils, widened. "You tensed up, so I assumed that . . ."

"Let go." Ayato demanded. He didn't care if he had to bite the arm off. He'd do whatever he had to and end this bastard already. It was long overdue anyways.

The other Ghoul simply shook his head. It almost looked comical how childish the gesture appeared from Ayato's angle. "Do I look like I want to die?"

"You're going to die either way." The indigo haired Ghoul muttered, sharply swiping his leg under Kaneki's feet.

"Geh?!" The other, however trained he was, did not expect that and loosened his grip. Finally out of the other's grasp, Ayato did not hesitate in bringing his Ukagu Kagune out. Firing at the concrete floor below Kaneki, the once substantial matter crumbled, taking both of them down a floor. Suddenly, this scene looked disgustingly familiar to an incident that occurred not too long ago as the full fledged Ghoul pushed the Half Ghoul through the previous level of the parking lot. Its familiarity only served to fuel the younger male's rage. The last time the two had been in a full fledge fight with one another had been absolutely humiliating to Ayato. He had half of his bones broken by the motherfucker, rendering him useless in the remaining time of the battle. Now, they were in opposite positions with Kaneki on the ground and Ayato himself glowering above him.

"I wouldn't hold it against you if you're up for some revenge." Kaneki broke the quietness between the two. With his head to the ground facing upwards and his arms stretched to either side of his body, he hardly looked like he was going to do anything but give in at the moment.

Ayato continued to frown, thinking, _What the fuck would I have to gain from it? Your bones would only heal themselves in a matter of minutes. That wouldn't be satisfying by the slightest._

"Trying to relieve yourself of the 'guilt' from last time?" He opted to say, sneering. "Save yourself the effort, hero."

Kaneki sent him a strange look. "I'm not trying to –"

"Shut the hell up!" Ayato exclaimed. "I hate people like you the most. Sitting on your high horse, preaching about some righteous nonsense and actually thinking that the sorry excuse of an attempt is suppose to save the day. Or in this case, save everyone from one another."

The Half Ghoul's lips became a firm line as he sent the other a questioning look. "Why are you so cynical?"

"Cynical?" He repeated incredulously. "We do not owe each other a damn thing and you want me to believe that you're 'sorry?!' Don't mess with me. Besides, I know what you are beneath that single red eye of yours. You're still half human, related to that disgusting lot."

Almost immediately, Kaneki snatched Ayato's wrist as he sat up. They were now faced to face and he gave the teen a hard stare. "Did you ever think about what really sets a human from a Ghoul? Their diet. That's it. Other than that, the two are pretty similar, no?"

"Hah? What about the fact that Ghouls are so much more physically capable than humans? I'd think that is something worth mentioning." Ayato deadpanned.

Kaneki made a face that appeared as though he was pondering. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But let's put that stuff aside. Ghouls and humans still have plenty in common. They both are social creatures and can feel a wide range of emotions such as happiness, anger, and fear."

The executive to the Aogiri Tree shrugged. "Whatever you say, it makes no difference to what I believe."

The older male let out a long sigh. "I shouldn't be condoning this . . . but the next time you're out there and you come really close to killing either a human or Ghoul, take note of how similarly they react. Then you'll see that they're not all that different from one another."

"Don't tell me what to do." Ayato said flatly casting him a dark glare.

"Just a suggestion."

Kaneki gave him a faint smile before skillfully sliding far away from Ayato's range of grasp. The younger of the two tried to catch up to compensate for the distance but by then, Kaneki had already jumped off the edge to the parking lot. Ayato stopped after watching the other's figure disappear, knowing that there was no point in giving chase any longer. Exhaling sharply, a hand of his became fisted as he pounded one of the concrete columns of the lot. It quickly cracked under the pressure and broke up into many pieces without hesitation. He had just let the bastard go again. There was no way he could have failed. The asshole was _right there_; he could have killed him at any time, but that didn't happen. Instead, the other had escaped scot-free just like the time before that . . . and the time before that. The were no words to describe how livid Ayato was at the moment; though it is not absolutely clear who he is more mad at, Kaneki Ken, or himself.

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_Again,_ _check out my profile for additional comments I have on this story!_


	3. Chapter 3

_For those of you who have been waiting a rather long time and have maybe even lost hope for new chapters, here you go. Consider it my Christmas gift to you._

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The sounds of heavy breathing echoed throughout the alleyways. A young woman was running wildly, not knowing exactly where her next step would take her but not really caring. All she need at the moment was to get away from her apparent stalker. At this time of night, it was not uncommon for the more unsavory people to emerge from the shadows. Her follower had no reservations in making himself known to her and still, he was blatantly stalking after her. When the woman somehow found herself at a dead end, blocked by a fence that she had no hope of climbing, she turned around to face the offender. It was a man who had a hunched back, digging most of his face into the collar of his shirt. The only thing that was visible of his face at the moment was his eyes. He chuckled crudely, satisfied at where his prey currently stood.

"I-If you try anything, I'll scream!" The woman threatened. Her brave front did nothing to the other's resolution.

The man's chuckle evolved to a crazed cackle, diminishing any bravery the woman might have had. His eyes locked onto her neck. He could already taste the sweet blood that will surely spurt out when he rips out her throat, and it certainly was a bonus to be able to sink his razor sharp teeth in the cartilage surrounding her vocal chords. Within seconds, he stood in front of her. His mouth was by his victim's neck, giving it a slow lick. He felt her shudder and that made him look up at her. _Poor girl._ He thought sarcastically. She was now crying. The ghoul could do without the tears; it was a bit too melodramatic for his tastes.

"You'll never get away with this!" She sobbed. "You will be arrested for rape!"

Her stalker blinked. He seemed genuinely confused for a second before he laughed again. "My dear, I don't want to fuck you. I want to eat you!"

The bluntness of his words had the woman in a complete stupor. She had heard about creatures like him. Ghouls, as they were categorized. She'd been warned once too many times about the dangers of walking home alone at night and this was why. Her brain sped up and she was met with the severity of the situation. She wouldn't leave here alive. Knowing what that _thing_ is, she would be lucky to have her bones returned to her mother and father after the police do her autopsy.

Given no more time to think about what was about to come, the Ghoul brought out his koukaku from his shoulder blades and had them pin the woman down. The fence behind her along with the human fell under the pressure of his bodily weapon. She gave no fight to this; turning her head to the side to relieve her of any horrors she may witness, she noticed a set of black boots approaching them. Her eyes slowly slid upwards to see a boy at around the age of 15 standing before them looking utterly bored.

"What are you doing?" The boy drawled, his dark blue hair covering parts of his eyes, but not concealing the annoyance in his face.

"Scram kid." The older Ghoul growled. "Can't you see I'm a little busy? Leave before I kill you too."

The woman had been expecting the boy to cower and run but he did no such thing. Instead, darkness slid into his previously normal eyes and the irises turned a blood red. _If I wasn't dead before, I certainly am now._ The woman huffed. Being in a situation that had her so close to death caused her to lose any sense she might have had. The adrenaline was still there but she did nothing.

"Make me." The boy spat.

The otherwise quiet alleyway erupted with noise as the elder Ghoul swung one of his koukaku at the boy. The blue haired teen swiftly jumped back, avoiding the hit that might have been had he simply stood there. Doing a flip, he landed a few feet back. The koukaku ended up hitting the wall to another building, creating a noticeable hole in it. While the boy gave pause, he watches the other Ghould drive his teeth into the woman. She shrieked in pain but he hardly blinked. _The human was weak, she deserved it._ He thought morosely. It was not long before the human was completely limp, blood tarnishing her clothing.

"Now," The older Ghoul licked the blood off his lips. "let's have a real fight shall we?"

While the two Ghouls were fighting, the buildings around them suffered greatly for it. New piles of bricks were forming here and there as the one Ghoul's koukaku was swinging around haphazardly. Irritatingly enough, the boy could not be touched. With the aid of his ukaku, the younger Ghoul's speed was far too great to be hit with something as blunt and heavy as his koukaku.

Suddenly, he found his knees giving out and by the time he looked down, he realized that this way because his legs were completely severed from his body. He screamed in pain as he went down. Gritting his teeth, he grudgingly wondered who the hell this boy was. He certainly was not a random Ghoul with good combat skills. No, he seemed to have been trained for situations like this. Possibly under an organization such as . . . dare he say it?

"Aogiri Tree." He gritted. "I've heard whispers around the streets about a certain brat having a good place in that laughable organization. Heard he frequents this area but I didn't believe it until now."

The boy glared down at him. "I don't believe you are in any position to make disrespectful remarks."

"I'll do whatever I please!" He laughed. "I am a free Ghoul! I listen to no one else but myself! I bet you can't say the same, can you, boy?"

Any anger that he expected to bring out from the teen did not show. He could only look disappointingly at the other's cold demeanor. Guess the boy was trained to be even above petty, provoking jabs.

"Fine." The boy said calmly. "Do what you will. Just be sure to take responsibility for the consequences of your actions. Things have a funny way of catching up to you when you least expect it."

"Wha-" There was no time allotted for the legless Ghoul to finish his inquiry as his head was sliced in half messily.

Ayato watched indifferently as the blood began to spill. He had no appetite for such easy game. He wasn't even all that hungry for flesh, perhaps it was more of a hunger for battle but even that was not satisfied. Still restless, he surveyed the Ghoul currently laying in pieces and the pathetic human whose neck got chewed off. If there's one thing he noted, it was that both of them were pitifully weak. Against his consent, Kaneki Ken's words resounded in his head. _"The next time you're out there and you come really close to killing either a human or Ghoul, take note of how similarly they react. Then you'll see that they're not all that different from one another."_

_Well, there was fear and a surplus of pain that's for sure. _He rolled his eyes at the thought. But that was obvious. Anyone would have – no. He was beginning to lump the two together and that was not what he wanted to do. Ayato remembered the argument he tried to make with the other. Humans and Ghouls were two different things. And one was inferior to the other. It didn't matter what they had in common, the differences were too stark. Of course the white haired Ghoul would try to make a connection between the two, he's both. In a way, to make himself feel better, he's been trying to make it seem like they're not that different so he wouldn't have to exist somewhere in the middle. So he wouldn't be an oddity. The sheer stupidity of this line of thought had Ayato scoffing. Ignoring the bodies strewn on the ground, he continued his walk to the parking lot he knew would not soon be occupied by him alone. Not if the One-Eyed Ghoul had anything to say about it.

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_I'll probably do the next chapter in Kaneki's POV. Or maybe not. I don't know, we'll see how it goes. Don't know how long it'll be until the next chapter either. I don't think it'll take another year. Maybe another week, or month or something. Hope you liked this chapter. If you did or didn't leave a review anyways. It does good for my morale._


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